Henry's Description:
That new Navy ship is interesting. I am a member of the Navy League and we are kept reasonably informed about the projects under way in our defense programs.
This has been a controversial ship for some time. The concept was that we needed a fast shallower draft multipurpose attack vessel for littoral combat. Most of the Navy ships had been used mainly for deep water combat and did not have the ability to get to inshore waters where much of today's fighting takes place. This ship can travel at over 40 knots and maneuver in rapid sequences, the result largely of the tri hull configuration. It is loaded with fantastic electronics for gun control, interception, and communication, and lots of other not mentionable abilities. Hull # 2, the one in your photo, was built by General Dynamics in Mobile, Ala. Stealth it is. That forward gun is a Mark 110- 57 mm cannon that can accurately hit a target 10+ miles away, fires 220 rounds per minute and has a variety of shell types used depending on the target. There is some hassle in the Navy at present about building the other two that were scheduled. This one was to be home ported in San Diego.
I suspect the "open house" on the ship in Newport may be part of a drive to get public and Navy support to proceed with the other two scheduled to be built.